Zelina Vega claims she has "always respected" 33-year-old WWE Superstar ahead of clash on SmackDown

Zelina Vega recently said some kind words about her opponent on WWE SmackDown.

On this week's edition of SmackDown, Zelina Vega is scheduled to compete against Damage CTRL's IYO SKY in a singles match. As of now, Zelina, Bayley, IYO SKY, Becky Lynch, and Zoey Stark have qualified for the Women's Money in the Bank ladder match on July 1st.

Zelina is a fan favorite to win the ladder match at the O2 Arena in London next month. The superstars that win the Men's and Women's Money in the Bank ladder bout are guaranteed a title shot at a time and place of their choosing. Vega recently battled Rhea Ripley for the SmackDown Women's Championship at Backlash in Puerto Rico, but The Eradicator was able to retain.

The 32-year-old took to Twitter recently to praise IYO SKY ahead of their bout this Friday on WWE SmackDown. A wrestling fan claimed the match has the potential to steal the show, and Vega agreed. Zelina added that she has always respected SKY as a competitor despite what Damage CTRL has done in the past.

"Yeah, I’m excited about this one. Despite all the crappy things Damage Control has done and stands for.. I’ve always respected Iyo as a competitor," she tweeted.

WWE legend believes Zelina Vega will become a champion

Zelina Vega recently appeared on WWE's The Bump and received some kind words from a wrestling legend.

Carlito and Savio Vega appeared at Backlash last month to help Bad Bunny against Damian Priest in the Street Fight. The Judgment Day attempted to interfere in the match, but LWO, Carlio, and Savio Vega showed up to even the odds.

Savio was also a guest during Vega's interview on WWE's The Bump last week and disclosed that he believes she has the potential to capture a championship in the company. Zelina thanked Savio for the kind words and added that she couldn't believe what had happened.

"I bet on you. You are going to be the next champion," said the veteran. [From 00:25 - 00:30]

Zelina Vega won the inaugural Queen's Crown tournament in 2021 and has held the Women's Tag Team Championships alongside Carmella. She has never been able to capture a singles title in the company. Still, she can earn a guaranteed title shot if she can capture the Money in the Bank contract at the premium live event on July 1st.

Which WWE Superstar on the roster do you think is most deserving of the Money in the Bank contract? Let us know in the comments section below.